REVIEW in MASSAGE MAGAZINE May/June 2002

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REVIEW: Pure Piano Panoramas: Massage Magazine May/June 2002

With Pure Piano Panoramas, Jeff Bjorck has crafted an excellent follow-up to his 1999 debut, Pure Piano Portraits. The 11 tracks of solo piano that make up this disc are similar to some of George Winston's earlier work, a la December, but Bjorck's music is more contemplative, and less dynamic. There aren't a lot of crescendos and diminuendos that take the listener on some kind of musical roller coaster, which usually seems to do more sonic harm than good. One of the fundamental precepts of any contemplative or meditative music is that it maintains a regular pace and volume, and Bjorck's Pure Piano Panoramas does this wonderfully.

There seems to be a variety of personal themes throughout this recording, including loss, love and personal growth. Bjorck resides in Southern California and is profoundly inspired by the desert landscape that surrounds him.

There are a couple of songs that stick out on this album, particularly the first track, "O, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus." This song makes excellent use of the piano's melodic beauty and quiet alike. The superlative "Soaring Mesa Cliffs" is also a standout. The low register of the piano seems to resonate throughout this piece, as the higher register of the piano's melodic voicings are shaped around it.

This is a contemplative and meditative recording that is, at times, a bit self-indulgent, but never too far away from providing a quiet and peaceful sonic atmosphere to complement the ambience of personal or shared space. This is a fine disc for massage sessions, as it never becomes too loud, and always maintains its relaxing pace. --Matt Borghi

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